Operational parameters in consumer electronics devices, such as the current local time, are often unreliable because the ordinary user does not pay attention to the details of the product settings. Such inaccurate parameters can unexpectedly affect the authentication of the device if an authentication algorithm uses the unreliable parameters. An example of such is an OpenCable Application Platform television (OCAP TV) and a set-top-box (STB) for the cable network. OCAP is a CableLabs-specified middleware for digital televisions and digital cable set-tops.
To receive such a cable service, the OCAP host (i.e., TV or set-top-box) and a cable service provider must authenticate each other. The authentication procedure includes a valid period check for the certificates of the host and cable service using the current local time. However, when the local time of the host is inaccurate, the authentication fails. This is typically because the user has not provided the correct current local time to the host (e.g., by correctly programming the OCAP TV date and time settings). Recovery from false/failed authentication is typically complex and time consuming, which requires the user to call customer support at the cable provider, waiting for a reply, and finding and providing the serial number of the OCAP TV to the customer support, to authenticating the OCAP TV to the cable service provider.
Conventional certificate authentication is a very strict and inflexible procedure without allowing any partial completion of the intermediary steps, wherein all the required authentication parameters must be provided, and be correct.